Under the Cover of Darkness
by TheDaffodilQueen
Summary: SYOC Seven survivors will band together when the zombie apocalypse hits. Their wits, survival skills, sanity, and bodies will be tested as they are forced to travel when Atlanta succumbs to the disease.
1. Application and Synopsis

_**A\N Hello there! :) I tried this once before, and I quit, but I'm going to try again! If anyone who submitted a character in the first attempt at this, and got in, if you want to be in this again, please message me, and you'll automatically be accepted :) That also means I'll accept more people so others have a chance :P**_

_**Basically, I have two of my own characters in here, and throughout the story, I'll be peppering in yours. And this is just the story of how they all survive and whatnot, and **_**yes****_ they _will_ be meeting Rick's group in here as well :)_**

_**The form for your characters are down below :D Please PM them to me. They will not be accepted by review.**_

_**THERE ARE NO PERFECT PEOPLE. NO. If I see a perfect character, I swear, I'll damn you to hell. Yeah. I have that power.**_

_**For now, I'm accepting three guys and two girls (this can change, though). But there will probably be more since people will die in this story, including my own. It's a zombie apocalypse, ya'll, everybody dies at some point. **_

_**So please fill out the form, and just to get you started, to see what the story will be like, there's a preview and an introduction to my two characters, and how this will all play out. **_

_**So here's the form, start sending away! :D**_

_**~Form~**_

_**Name (First, Middle and Last):**_

_**Nickname: **_

_**Gender: **_

_**Age (This can go from 16 to at least 65, I will accept ONE kid younger than ten, but they have to be older than three, and you must send a mother or father with them, and it's okay to have a person older than thirty as well. I want the group to be diverse):**_

_**Ethnicity (Be creative): **_

_**Birthday: **_

_**Birthplace/Hometown:**_

_**~Appearance~**_

_**Hair (Color, style, length):**_

_**Eyes (Color and shape):**_

_**Facial Features (Cheekbones, nose, chin, etc):**_

_**Scars, Moles, Freckles, Tattoos:**_

_**Height and weight (Be realistic. A girl who is 5'9" will not be 97 pounds. No.):**_

_**Skin Color (Do they burn easily?):**_

_**Their best feature:**_

_**Their worst feature:**_

_**Please give me three or four outfits they'll wear (Be fairly descriptive):**_

_**~Personality~**_

_**Personality (Please. Be descriptive. Be so descriptive that I have to call the Description Lords, and scream, "GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!" PLEASE. Also, please try to make their personalities believable. Someone who is meek and quiet cannot also be loud and courageous, or someone who is generally a horrible person cannot have a consistent sweet side):**_

_**Likes (This is anything in general):**_

_**Dislikes (Same here):**_

_**~Favorite/Least Favorites (Give me a reason why as well)~**_

_**Song:**_

_**Food:**_

_**Color:**_

_**Sport:**_

_**Subject:**_

_**Book:**_

_**Movie:**_

_**~Before the Apocalypse~**_

_**Family (Please list their family members and their names, and what your character's relationship was with them):**_

_**History:**_

_**Job/Job History:**_

_**Quirks:**_

_**Habits:**_

_**Optimist or Pessimist: **_

_**Religion:**_

_**Education:**_

_**Political Views:**_

_**Alcohol Tolerance:**_

_**~After the Apocalypse~**_

_**How they found out about the outbreak:**_

_**How they initially reacted:**_

_**Who have they lost to the apocalypse?:**_

_**Which death was the hardest to handle?:**_

_**How are they coping with all of this?:**_

_**Do they want to live or die (opt out? Another thing, not everyone is going to want to live, if your character wants to commit suicide, or is likely to, that's fine. Don't be afraid to make that character):**_

_**~Relationships~**_

_**Sexual Orientation (I am completely open to writing for a gay couple...actually, that would make me so happy):**_

_**Do you want them in a relationship?:**_

_**With an actual character or an OC? (If its an OC, we'll worry about that later):**_

_**Which character? (Sorry, but no Daryl, and no, I'm not saving him for my OC):**_

_**With what kind of people can your character be friends with?:**_

_**Enemies with?:**_

_**Will they be open to people, or will they be secretive?:**_

_**Biggest secret:**_

_**Can they tell someone this?:**_

_**Their strengths: **_

_**Their weaknesses:**_

_**~Fighting and Weapons~**_

_**What is their primary weapon? (Let's not get too cray cray here. They're still a person, not a soldier. A hunting rifle is fine, but some sort of gun you'd see in the army is not.)**_

_**How good are they at handling it?:**_

_**Are they medically trained?:**_

_**Can they cook/clean well?:**_

_**Are they willing to sacrifice themselves for another person? (It's okay if you have a selfish person):**_

_**A\N WOW! That was really long! XD Anyways, here's the preview! :)**_

_**~Saturday~**_

"Ugh. Friggin' gross." Cara muttered, flailing her leg around, trying to rid it of the blood that was strewn across the floor. It splatted against the wall instead, making another sick portrait to the collection. She lifted her foot up as high as it would go (and not that high) to check if she successfully de-icked her shoe. She sighed, and straightened herself back up, and kept walking, careful not to step in another puddle of blood and start the process over again. She ran her hand along a wall of lockers from her old high school she used to go to, feeling sick as she knew these used to belong to actual people. Cara shook the feeling, and removed her hand, walking a little faster just to get away from it all.

She knew it was lame to be stuck in a freaking school during the zombie apocalypse, especially when she was a college student, but her cousin still went here. He was her first thought when it all started, but the high school had already gone to shit when she arrived. And, there was no sign of him.

Or anyone, for that matter.

She walked along further, trying to find a damn exit that wasn't crawling with walkers. It had only been a fucking week since it started and the school was in shambles. Her stomach twisted at the thought of her cousin dying, being ripped apart, or worse, turning _into _one of those things. _Clang. _Cara stopped mid-step, her right leg still hanging up in the air (and it was a lot higher than before) She dug into her pocket, and found her kitchen knife, and flipped it comfortably in her hand. She inched closer to the doorway, and paused, listening hard. She heard breathing, and it was ragged, so she figured it was a walker. She narrowed her eyes, and coughed, drawing its attention. She heard it walk closer, its breath drawing near, before it was right next to her. She jumped out, knife in hand, ready to plunge it deep into...a really...really...attractive guy's head.

He jumped back in surprise. "Holy fuck!" He cursed loudly. Before she had a chance to tell his gorgeous mouth to _shut the fuck up_, she heard shuffling and moaning from the end of the hall. She flipped her head in the direction, and already saw a middle-aged man stumbling his way towards them hungrily.

"Come with me." She hissed, running down the hall, towards the man. She dug the knife into his head, feeling the pressure, and retracted back, the blood soaking her arm as it spurted back up with the release.

"Are you fuckin' insane?!" The man shouted, running next to her. "They're comin' this way!" Cara pushed the re-dead body on the floor and motioned for him to follow her anyways, despite her craziness.

"There's a door back this way, I just came from it!" She called back, "I was tryin' to find my cousin, but I guess he's not here!" She pushed another away from her, and she pushed the door open. The man dodged them quickly, giving her a hateful glare while doing so, and ran out the door. Cara was just about to leave before she saw her cousin's book-bag on the ground, covered in blood. Her heart sank and she picked it up, staring at it tearfully. Her hands clenched at the thought of him dying, so she threw the bag down hatefully, and ran out.

The man stared incredulously at her after she caught up with him half-way down the block, and shot him a sheepish grin. "What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?!" She looked at him blankly, and stood in front of him, wiping sweat away from her forehead.

"That's the _third time_ you've said fuck." She tsked. "You better clean up that potty mouth, mister." He narrowed his eyes at her, as she grinned cheekily. He stretched his arms lazily, looking around at the "world" around them. With how bright the sun was shining, you would have never guessed the world had gone to shit.

"What's your name?" He demanded, clearly lacking on the social skills. She shrugged, and shoved her knife forcefully into her pocket again (after she de-icked it, of course)

"Dunno. How about, you tell me yours, and I might tell you mine on a good day." Cara suggested, smiling brightly, in contrast to his scowl. He sighed, and started walking again. She walked alongside him.

"I left you, because I don't want to spend anymore time with you." He explained slowly, as though she was dumb. She rolled her eyes, and sped up, her short legs making it hard to catch up with his freaking _stilts_.

"First of all, there are three things wrong with that. One, you asked me for my name, which clearly says, 'Hey! I'm interested!' Two, I saved your ass, so the least you can do is let me come with you. And three, of _course _you want to spend time with me! I'm a joy and delight to everyone!" He looked at her for a moment, before he cracked the world's lamest smile ever. If you could even call it that.

He bit his lip. Which was pretty damn attractive. "Fine. You can come." He agreed. "My name's Weapon Ree, by the way." Cara turned her head sharply towards him, looking red in cheeks. "What?" He asked defensively as she looked as though she was going to laugh.

"I mean. Is that seriously your name?" She asked incredulously. Weapon narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah. It is. Got a problem with it?"

"I just. It's a pun."

"What is?" Weapon questioned her, looking angry.

"Your name!"

"Look. None of my friends, family, or teachers said anything about my name bein' a pun. So it's not. I don't know how you think it is, but it's not, so leave it alone, or I'll leave you." He growled. Cara put her hands up tall in the air, and nodded, but she still had a teasing smile on. "So, what's your name?"

"Not tellin'!" Cara sang. "You're gonna have to guess!"

Weapon groaned.

_**A\N Ah, poor, poor Weapon Ree xD Anyways, I hope ya'll liked it, so please PM me your character, and let's hope you get in! :D**_

_**~Daffy~**_


	2. Accepted Characters

_**A\N Hello, all! Thank you for all the characters so far, they are all wonderful! This is the official list of characters, and I've included their ages, personalities, and sexualities. **_

_**Based on what you read for every character, please send me who your character would be friends with, enemies with, and would be in a relationship with. And Joan Holman is off-limits, guys. She's five :)**_

_**I'm also including Cara and Weapon so you get a better idea of them and their personalities. I extended the amount of people because all of these characters are so wonderful! **_

_**If I didn't accept your character, please don't be discouraged! They weren't bad at all, I just didn't need them right now. The reason I didn't accept most of them is because I got so many characters who were 23-25, and I wanted diverse characters. If they didn't get accepted now, I'll PM you again in the future when some characters die.**_

_**Also, PLEASE do not get angry when your characters die. It's the zombie apocalypse. Most will die. This is all up to chance, by the way. I have a coin system. Heads, you live, tails, you die. There will be several zombie attacks, and some will die naturally. If your current character dies, you can always send me another character.**_

_**This story is VERY character driven, and for the first few chapters, not a lot of action will happen because every character (unless they're a family) will get an individual chapter.**_

_**Okay, with all of that being said, let's move on to the list! Congrats to all who got in, I'm so excited!**_

_**Guys**_

_**Weapon Jean Ree**_

_**Age: You'll see ;) **_

_**Personality- Weapon can only be described as angry and quiet. Coming from a somewhat broken family with an absent mother and preoccupied father, Weapon was always left alone. This has caused him to be extremely independent, arrogant, and indifferent towards others. His lack of interaction with people has led him to be wary of their company and sometimes overwhelmed. He is bossy, pretentious, and not a team player whatsoever. He is reserved and quiet and it takes time to break down his walls and get to know him. When this happens, you can plainly see he is intelligent and highly practical. His sweet side is hard to get to, and even then, it's hardly sweet. However, he is fiercely loyal when he finds a true friend, and a true enemy.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Vincent Thomas Holman**_

_**Age: 25**_

_**Personality- Though usually a laid-back humble, and eccentric man, Vincent has shown a deceptively cunning and serious side when the situation calls for it. He commonly uses idle conversation and outward concern to distract people from the truth. Despite his care-free attitude, he always speaks bluntly. His friends notes he tends to go over the top with whatever he becomes passionate about things he likes, like the outdoors. He has described himself as a "mere honest, handsome, flirtatious guy."**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Marcus T Blackwood**_

_**Age: 26**_

_**Personality- He is a tough, no nonsense type of guy and takes things very seriously and hates it when people make jokes about certain situations to make it better. Though despite all of this, he still shows signs of emotion as he will look away when he sees a dead corpse of someone he knows, lets out grunts of anger or shouts at a person if they annoy him or get on his bad side, smirks, chuckles, and smiles when something good happens, and basically acts like the father of the group.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Jacob Jonah Ndyae**_

_**Age: 28**_

_**Personality- Very quiet and withdrawn and tend to come off as very impersonal and almost overly polite. He is a very sensitive and emotional person, but keeps his card close to his chest, so to speak. He doesn't feel right "forcing": his thoughts and feelings onto others, and needs hours of coaxing before he'll speak of himself, even to his closest friends. He is a very anxious person and has a tendency to over-think things and freak himself out over every little detail and talks himself out of every course of action when left to his own devices. He works best in tandem with another person. When he's by himself, he trips himself up, but being around other people shifts the focus onto them and his realistic and logical mind can go to work meticulously picking through the flaws in their plans while his taciturn nature will make sure that only the important details get attention. This only really works for business though. On a personal level, interacting with people makes him nervous. But then again, everything makes him nervous. He's very sweet tempered and a nurturing person by nature, and prefers to fuss over other people than think of himself and his situations. He can kind of be co-dependent like that, preferring to shift the focus the attention away from himself and onto another person to avoid having to think of himself and his own problems. He just likes being over-the-top around people.**_

_**Sexuality- Bisexual**_

_**Rune Aaron Brody**_

_**Age: 35**_

_**Personality- Rune is not an excitable person...he acts much like how he looks: gruff. This doesn't mean he's necessarily mean or grouchy, he's just taciturn and blunt, and carries and obeys a strong "live and let live" credo. He certainly doesn't look for trouble. He's not the leader type, but is very practical and will find "what is necessary" easier to do than many others. Luckily, he is also honorable and would never betray a trust or run out on his allies. He can be a bit suspicious of the others, the "outsiders", but is not against helping others. One way to make him more talkative is to bring up the topic of cars...especially muscle cars. **_

_**Sexuality- Gay**_

_**Benjamin Brayden Harvey**_

_**Age: 42**_

_**Personality- Ben is hot-headed, strong-minded, and short tempered. He LOVES to hear himself talk and believes only his opinions matter. He's uppity and conceited because of his past school records and accomplishments as a state football coach. He always gets the last word and is a trouble maker because he loves the intensity of fights and will sometimes cause arguments just to feel that rush. He is constantly moving and doing something, even if it doesn't pertain to the group's safety. Ben is a natural born leader and thinks so himself, and will try to lead, even if he is not the chosen leader. He will make hard decisions without even thinking about it and loves to kill walkers because he loves to have the power of life and death. The new world has made him brutal and angry, especially after the death of his daughter, Harriet. He will not hesitate to kill the living of the dead, and will do so happily, if need be. The only time his softer side comes out is to his wife, Eliza, and any children there might be.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Basil (Pronounced Ba-cill) Martin Langdon**_

_**Age: 14**_

_**Personality- Basil is an aspiring hero. Coming from a hard life and watching the perfect world around him come crashing down and going to shit, all Basil wants to do now is help. Basil is very naïve, wanting to believe there is good in everyone, even if they've done something bad. He does favors and "quests" for anyone and everyone who asks and will not stop until he gets it done because he's so determined to help them. He basically helps good and bad people for the right reasons. Beyond that, Basil is an optimist and likes to bring up people's moods, even if his is down. He can act like a brat if things don't go his way or if he can't complete a quest which is almost always. He is nosy and pushy, and when he doesn't have anything to do, he will follow people around until he has something to do. He's very energetic, and when he doesn't have anything to do, he's not sure what to do with all of his energy. He constantly talking, and he can't adapt to change well and he doesn't really know or understand boundaries. He's very clumsy and a little oblivious and ditsy, but wants to be a leader someday, and will both admire and envy the chosen leader.**_

_**Sexuality- Bisexual**_

_**Girls**_

_**Cara Lain Johnston**_

_**Age: 22**_

_**Personality- She's loud, energetic, optimistic (to the point of it hurting), and quick-witted. Cara is a very...quirky person you could say. She's a talker and will talk your ear off if you let her. She's opinionated and will give her opinion whether it's wanted or needed or not. She will rarely, if ever, sway from her opinion and is almost never open to hearing others. She's a very blunt person and isn't afraid to let people know what she thinks of them. She's a funny person, mostly if she doesn't try, like with her phrases and how she looks at life. She has a rather short temper and has been known to flip out on people over extremely trivial events. She hates change and can't get used to it right away, so she can be very moody and whiny when this happens. She's antsy and is constantly moving, though she is lazy and hates doing anything productive. She's a brainy person and is exceptionally smart. Cara has a dark past and hates talking about it. She'll make jokes to avoid the subject and does this with anything too serious for her liking. She pretends the new world isn't scary for her, but in actuality, she's terrified.**_

_**Sexuality- Bisexual**_

_**Reinforce Yukimura**_

_**Age: 24**_

_**Personality- Rein is a very hyper-active, outgoing, impulsive, upbeat, cheerful, spunky and short tempered girl. She is very blunt and has no shame in what she says. Rein as well is a huge daredevil, she enjoys doing dangerous things due to her lack of fear, not even fearing walkers all that much. She also enjoys intimidating her opponents and people who are scared of her. Due to not being raised by anyone her whole life, she developed little manners. Despite this, Rein is always cracking jokes to lighten up the mood and once you get close to Rein, she will become very protective of you and will protect you with her life from the living, to the walkers and will become highly loyal to you. If someone so much as insults her friends, Rein can very easily get aggressive to the person who insulted her friend. Rein is very optimistic as well, she hates when people are too negative and will shamelessly tell them to stop being so negative and cheer up already, but in a more crude way. She curses very often as well and will sometimes make up her own words. Rein dislikes authority and loves trouble, she especially hates authority figures and will gladly flip them the finger at any given opportunity. She can't help but get into an argument with them every time. She was well known by the cops in New York City, and they hated her as much as she hated them. Rein is very flirty as well once she gets over her curiosity over the men, not having seen a man before and will tell them they're attractive without feeling shame about it. Rein though does have a gentle side to her, but only shows this to good, well behaved children. In fact, non-behaved children make Rein somewhat uncomfortable. Rein though, despite her cheery attitude, deep inside she is rather depressed over her loneliness. Rein also gets excited very easily and is known for being a major hopeless romantic. Rein loves all kinds of sweets, especially cake and ice cream and would do just about anything for it.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Joan Madison Holman (Daughter of Vincent Holman)**_

_**Age: 5**_

_**Personality- Joan is a very sweet, sometimes very hyper-active and carefree child that likes to have adventures and fun. She loves her father with all of her heart, and doesn't like to see him hurt.**_

_**Ayumi Sato (Girlfriend of Marcus Blackwood)**_

_**Age: 25**_

_**Personality- She is open and friendly and is very lively. She can be serious when the situation demands it, though. She is very intelligent and loyal and can be competitive when it comes to killing walkers and is willing to punch anyone when it comes to Marcus and Sally, her adopted daughter.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Sally Blake (Adopted daughter of Marcus and Ayumi)**_

_**More information later to come.**_

_**Gertrude Lowrey**_

_**Age: 31**_

_**Personality- Gert is fucked up. She's this quietly angry little ball of self-loathing, distrust, and general misanthropy hidden behind a veneer of detached sarcasm. She's the master of the deadpan snark, with a distaste for and inability to convey sincerity that borders on psychotic. She simply cannot interact with the world without a protective layer of humor. Not even good humor, sometimes. She's got sarcasm, vulgarity, and vivid metaphors(think Seanbaby or Yahtzee Croshaw) down, and she'll say ridiculous things with a straight face, but actual wit? Eh. She's certainly smart, and she has her moments of cleverness, but, well, she's not the most high brow of people. She has this thing about being self-contained and self reliant; she doesn't accept help from others, and she doesn't accept being victimized. She is purposefully inflammatory, and will go out of her way to poke and prod and do her best to provoke people to attack her, because she needs to have that feeling of control. That she can so easily drive people to a frothing rage, but keeps such tight control on her own emotions is a point of pride for her. She can't help but feel powerless to effect the world around her, but she can always control her reaction to the world. She's highly intelligent and resourceful, but her sense of humor sort of infects her work, and she can never resist making things just a little bit absurd, which oftentimes doesn't end well for her. Her desire to be unpredictable also cripples her sometimes. She loves the sense of accomplishment she gets from getting a job done right, more than anything else.**_

_**Sexuality- Yet to come**_

_**Eliza Jane Harvey (Wife of Ben Harvey)**_

_**Age- 39 **_

_**Personality- Eliza is doting, caring, and nosy. She likes to know everyone else's business, sometimes to help, and sometimes just to know. Most of the time, she feels neglected, and will try to push herself into other people's business. She loves to be the centre of attention, and tries to put herself there...a lot. She does, though, try to help people whenever she can, and take care of them right. She's funny and can brighten someone's day easily, but at the same time, can ruin it with her words. Eliza can be vicious at times with just a sentence or look, so normally, people just let her do what she wants. She was very spoiled as a child, and is still trying to adapt to not having everything at her fingertips like she had. After the death of Harriet, the world has taken a HUGE toll on her. She's quieter than she was, and will look after any of the children there, as if they were Harriet.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**A\N Ahhh! I'm so excited! Please send me the lists of who your characters would be friends, enemies, and in a relationship with! :)**_

_**Stay golden,**_

_**Daffy:)**_


	3. Reinforce Yukimura

_**A\N Hello, hello! :)**_

_**So, this is the first official chapter, and I'm so excited! :D This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful Reinforce Yukimura. Even if she isn't your character, I still hope everyone will read this to get a better understanding of her and all the rest of the characters.**_

_**Every character will be getting a single chapter dedicated to them except for Cara and Weapon, and Vincent and Joan, Eliza and Ben, and Ayumi, Marcus, and Sally because they're families. **_

_**Because this chapter is pre-written, I'll probably be able to double update today, and I'm so excited! Yay!**_

_**Also, I still need the friends, enemies, and romantic interest lists from most of you, so please send that! The sooner you do, the sooner I can write for your character! :D**_

_**Please review and tell me what you think, what you like and don't like, and enjoy :D**_

_**~Thursday~**_

A bright red car (Rein couldn't tell what kind from the destruction) was smoking considerably bad, blood spilling from the back seat of it, coming down, sort of resembling a waterfall. "Wanna go check it out?" Rein asked Nightmare with a curious grin, walking closer to demolished car. The back was completely crushed in, looking as though another car slammed into it, though there wasn't another car in sight.

She swiftly pulled out her switchblade, steadying it in her hand comfortably and inched closer to it. Nightmare neighed loudly, the sound pulling her away aggressively. Rein laughed, storing the blade back into her pocket, and backed away from the car with her arms held high. "Okay, okay. Sorry for trying to be a good Samaritan and helps others, Nightmare." She chuckled, tousling his mane, her cream skinned hand getting lost in his raven hair. Nightmare gave a satisfied neigh and looked at her expectantly for her next move.

Rein pulled her matching raven hair away from her back, and loosely pulled in into a pony-tail that sat comfortably mid-way down her head. She sighed, stretching her arms, feeling as though she had been traveling for years. (No freaking car, not much food, and a lack of civilization can do that to you). She looked around for another _usable _car, but she wasn't _too_ disappointed when she found no such luck. "I could really use a car, God!" Rein called sarcastically, looking up towards the sky. "asshole." She muttered after a short silence (and no car). She checked her surroundings. A highway, a fucked up car, and a forest. She flickered her focus towards the condensed forest to her left, eying it cautiously

"_Ven!" Rein sobbed helplessly. Nightmare nuzzled next to Rein, trying to offer her some sort of comfort as she cried hysterically into the dense forest away from the destruction of the college. A few stray _things _were around, and Nightmare was aware of this too, keeping a watchful eye on them. "Ven..." She sat indian-style, on the ground, dirtying up her skinny jeans and white tank-top, including the bit of stomach that the white tank top neglected to cover. "Why?" Nightmare neighed sadly, causing Rein to let out a strangled sob. "Why you'd have to_ go_?" She asked brokenly. "Why..."_

Rein shuddered herself out of the memory, and averted her attention back to the highway, her breaths short and rattled. "I think the highway's the best right now, huh, buddy?" She grinned up at him, ruffling his purely black mane affectionately. He shook his head lovingly to her touch in response, and began walking with her. She tugged lightly on her ponytail, trying to rid it of the sweat that was gathering on her skin. The nape of her neck, her forehead, even her arms were doused in sweat from the mid-morning sun beating down hard on her. Her cream skin still retained the natural color she always had, but a thin red tint had spread onto it, giving her more of an Irish complexion, denying her Japanese heritage. _Come on, just keep going, Rein._ She urged herself, her legs feeling like lead, and the sun beating down on her especially hard now.

She grimaced at a sheering pain in her side, causing her to slow down for a moment. She leaned for a moment on Nightmare, looking up at him with a joking smile. "Looks like I have to work out, huh?" She pushed herself back up, and started walking again, ignoring the pain. She couldn't ride Nightmare for too long. The four-year-old horse was strong, but she only had a limited supply of food for him, and she couldn't afford to wear the poor guy out. She heard a faint groan in the distance, but she refused to look back at it, and instead, kept pushing herself forward. She noticed a few more broken cars, belongings strewn out onto the street, bringing a sick sensation to her stomach.

A bright yellow T-shirt with a smiling sun on it, that said "Little Miss Sunshine" was laying solely on the street, bringing a bright yellow contrast to the mugginess of the atmosphere. Rein touched it lightly, observing its perfect condition. She turned it over in her hand, no blood or decay in sight of it, so she folded it and laid it across Nightmare's back, watching it sling comfortably over his back. Rein smiled at it, and kept walking upwards, pretty certain she was near Atlanta by now. She laughed at herself, nineteen years living in Georgia (minus five since she was still living in New York with "the greatest parents ever!" until they decided to find a cheaper home. And they were definitely good at dumping things to live a cheaper life) and she still didn't know the place like the back of her hand like she should have.

Like Ven did.

She shook the thought from her mind, thinking positively, and finally stopped, seeing Atlanta _right there_ covered in thick bundle of smoke. She felt her body slump as her eyes surveyed the mess that was "the great city of Atlanta" now in shambles. She could see a vast amount of those _things_ bumbling about the streets mindlessly, growling at nothing. There had to be at least a hundred or so of them (and here she thought she killed the majority of them avenging Ven).

Rein let out a helpless cry, and sat down on the road, a sense of dread bombarding her with full force. Nightmare neighed loudly, nudging Rein's shoulder with his head. She shrugged him off, still looking at the city brokenly, not knowing what to do or where to go now. Nightmare persistently nudged her shoulder once more, causing Rein to look up at him. He bucked his back, causing the shirt to fall into her lap. She held it in her hands, smiling at the message Nightmare was sending her. She stood up shakily after a few minutes, and put it back on Nightmare's back with a smile, grabbing a hold of his reign. "Let's go, Nightmare." She declared, walking downhill anyways, towards the destruction of the city, the _things_ that were inhabiting it, and the depression raining over it.

She saw the sun was hanging slightly lower in the sky than it was, so she figured it was two or three in the afternoon now. Rein sighed, wishing she had a clip to pull back her bangs, the kind that a ponytail couldn't hold back. She could feel _her_ next to her, but her bitter memories reminded her that wasn't possible, though she couldn't shake that feeling. She was constantly ghosting around Rein now, having Rein push herself further and further, as if to escape what had happened only two weeks prior, or because Rein had to be positive. She was strong enough to survive, she just needed a helpful reminder of that once in awhile. She felt tears prick her eyes, but hearing Nightmare's breaths next to her, reminded her she had to keep going for her pet, her partner. "Jesus, I wish I had about three thousand bottles of water right now!" She joked. She stopped in front of a camping reserve that was just a few minutes away from Atlanta to rest up with Nightmare.

"Holy shit, it's hot!" She heard a voice exclaim. Rein stopped, and held out her arm in front of Nightmare to stop him as well. He stopped with a short neigh, causing Rein to freeze. _Shit!_ She thought, cautiously peeking through a seemingly normal bush. From what she could see, it was just two people, a man and a woman. The woman was fanning herself vigorously, complaining loudly to the man who looked as though he couldn't give two shits. Rein felt herself relax when she realized they hadn't heard Nightmare, so she watched them curiously. "Hey, Weapon?" The woman asked. The guy – Weapon, turned from his shoe and faced her.

He sighed. "What?"

"Did you neigh earlier?" Rein resumed her freezing as soon as "neigh" left the woman's mouth. The woman scratched her burned cheek, and continued on. "'Cause I swear to sweet Jesus, I just heard a neigh." Weapon turned on his heel, checking out the area. Rein tugged Nightmare to the ground even further, making him neigh. She pressed her hand gently on his mouth, hoping they didn't hear her.

Weapon looked back at her. "Do I look like a damn horse to you?" The woman chuckled at him and gave him a half-assed sorry in return. Rein steadied herself on her heels, still watching them, as they packed up their mini-camp they had set up. Rein tugged Nightmare into their camp with a bright smile on her face.

"I think you do." She teased. (It wasn't true at all. She wouldn't be surprised if he was a freaking model back before the world went to shit) as Weapon and the woman stared at her and the horse disbelievingly. She laughed at them (loving to make dramatic entrances) as the woman bounded over curiously, staring in awe at Nightmare before she broke into a smile.

"I friggin' told you, you asshole!" She exclaimed, "I knew I heard a horse. What's his name?" Rein looked up at Nightmare, and smiled, ruffling his mane.

"Nightmare." She answered, "And I'm Rein." The woman smiled and excused herself, saying, "'Scuse me, I have to grab the rest of my shit, you see." Weapon was still staring at them, looking angry...maybe? "Take a picture," Rein joked, "it'll last longer."

Weapon scowled. "I wasn't starin' at you. I was starin' at your horse." He snapped, before gesturing to Nightmare. "It's just...that horse is so _big_." The woman, now with a neon yellow pack slung loosely on her shoulder, came back to them, smiling at the horse goofily. The woman looked back and forth between Weapon, Rein, and Nightmare respectively.

The woman nudged Weapon's shoulder. "Jesus, stop staring at her as if she's gonna fuckin' kill you." Weapon rolled his eyes at the woman. "And _you_. Stop lookin' him up like he's dinner." She ordered sharply to Rein. "And you...stop being so cute!" She cooed at Nightmare, looking at him like he was a new-born baby. Rein laughed as Nightmare almost moved uncomfortably at the sudden attention he was receiving from her

"I'm Weapon Ree." Weapon grumbled, holding out his hand. Rein laughed for a moment, before realizing he was serious. She shook his hand, trying to retract her laughter.

She composed herself, though it was apparent she wanted to burst out laughing. "Is that seriously your name?"

"What the fuck?" He asked, "No one ever commented on it. I don't get you two at fuckin' all."

The woman snorted next to him. "Be aware that he loves to say the word 'fuck'. I've been counting, and that's the fourteenth time he's said it. Fourteenth!" She exclaimed, causing Weapon to scowl. "I'm Whitney, by the way." She greeted with a wide smile. "Nice to meet ya!" Weapon shot her a death glare, something Rein was noticing he did a lot towards her.

"Did you seriously just fucking tell her your name, even though you wouldn't tell me?" Weapon exclaimed. "Whatever." He stomped away, growling about grabbing his shit.

"Fifteen!" The woman called back, laughing.

"Go fuck yourself!" Rein laughed at them, before Whitney turned back with a smile. She motioned for Rein to come closer to her. Whitney pushed her strawberry hair away from her face, and giggled before whispering.

"My real name's Cara, not Whitney." Imposter Whitney laughed, "I just like fucking with his psyche." Rein laughed and nodded, feeling better than before, and she straightened back up when Weapon came over. She never knew sweat could actually compliment a guy, but damn, it did for this stud-muffin. Weapon scratched his black hair, as he pulled his now falling backpack back onto his shoulder again.

"So, are you comin' with us?" Weapon asked. "We're headin' past Atlanta towards well, wherever, I guess." Cara nodded, and grabbed Rein's hand forcefully, tugging her towards them.

"Seriously, you should come with us! I have three good reasons why. One, I loves me your horse, and I want to hug him forever and ever. Two, even though this guy's attractive and whatnot, his personality sucks, and he's a constant downer. And three, I'm a joy and delight to everyone!" Rein laughed and looked over to the neglected Nightmare and rubbed his mane.

"Whaddaya think, buddy?" She asked quietly. "Wanna go with them? I think she and I could be friends, and he's _really_ cute." She pitched. "Besides, its been awhile since I've had a boyfriend!" She added with a grin. Nightmare neighed in agreement, and Rein walked back to them, smiling widely.

"I have consulted the master, and we've decided to come with you." Cara cheered jovially, while Weapon shrugged it off indifferently, adjusting that damn pack again.

"Alright, let's keep movin', then. Just two things when you're with us. Don't let Nightmare neigh too loudly, don't be too loud yourself either, and you _have_ to fight off the..." Weapon trailed off, looking uncertainly at Cara who was looking quite amused.

She grinned. "Say it." She commanded.

Weapon sighed, hanging his head. "You have to fight off the...Wangledorfs." Cara nodded in agreement while Rein laughed, looking at them curiously. "_She_ wanted to name them, the things that're eatin' people, 'Bangdoffs', while I wanted to name them 'Wandledorfs' and eventually we compromised and named them Wangledorfs, even though I like mine the best."

"That's awesome." Rein concluded. Weapon nodded, and led them out of the campsite quietly, stabbing one zombie with a screwdriver in the eye. They left the campsite, and walked again, Cara and Rein talking up each other's (and Weapon's) ear off while Weapon was telling them to 'shut the fuck up!' (seventeen). Rein smiled adoringly at Nightmare, and back at Weapon and Cara, her previous bad feelings gone, and _her_ presence dissipating.

Maybe this new life wasn't going to be so bad.

_**A\N Please review and tell me what you think, and I'll hopefully get another chapter out today :) **_

_**Stay golden,**_

_**Daffy :)**_


	4. Vincent and Joan Holman

_**A\N Hi guys! Sorry it took so long to get this out, but yanno, life. I was just having a rough couple of days, but now I'm back, so let's do this! **_

_**This chapter is for the wonderful family of Joan and Vincent Holman :) Ah, they were so much fun and so sweet to write for. **_

_**Before I get started, I have a few things to sort through. Number one, to Rune's creator, Motordog, Rein and Cara are very similar in the sense that, yes, they kind of joke around too much and seem okay, but they both use humor to hide their true feelings. Rein's life isn't an easy one, and Cara has gone through a lot with the apocalypse, so I think you'll see their dark and more serious sides as this comes along.**_

_**Here are the other characters I didn't add in chapter two, so please send me if your character would be friends or enemies with them.**_

_**Sally Blake**_

_**Age: 17**_

_**Personality- Sally when growing up was a sweet and caring little girl but knew how to play people to help her father gain money to better their way of life and was quite mature for her age. And now with walkers and other dangerous things about Sally has changed slightly to better her changes of survival. She is quick to jump to the defense of otherwise weaker or preyed upon individuals with little thought of reward to herself. However, much like the world she lives in, she will take or steal from others without consideration to their situation if it means keeping her, Marcus and Ayumi safe and sound. And she will deny her actions if caught. Sally's knowledge of the environment helps her navigate around surroundings without being seeing and such. So she basically grew up to be tomboyish. **_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Anthony James Lennox**_

_**Age: 22**_

_**Personality- AJ is very personable, friendly, charming and kind...not sickeningly sweet or bothersome, though. He has a knack for reading a person and figuring out how best to approach him or relate to him. He's quite respectful of others, especially women and his elders, but is just as comfortable with the "Bro" beer drinking crowd. He's also great with kids...he was considering going into pediatric nursing. Now, is he a total goody two shoes? No...I want to repeat he shouldn't be portrayed as overly friendly, certainly not at first. He has not been unaffected by the carnage around him, but he's using it to distract himself from the gravity of is own situation. He's a bright guy and knows there are a lot of bad people in the world. He's also put together most of the 'facts' about the zombie sickness and the walking dead...he'll have normal levels of caution, especially considering the state of the world. **_

_**Sexuality- Gay**_

_**Jessica Marie Hawke**_

_**Age: 32**_

_**Personality- Being a former EMT, Jessica works well under pressure. She possesses a certain calmness about her that can unnerve others simply because it's nearly impossible to rile her up. She has a way of detaching herself from things that are going on around her, a way to think about something as if she and those she loved weren't a part of it, but rather bystanders of the event. This allows her to react to situations in the best possible way she can come up with, often in ways to insure the highest survival rate of her friends. Jessica is very conscientious, meaning she's careful, intuitive and goal orientated. This trait also tends to lead more into a workaholic, someone who works to do what they can, where they can. **_

_**With Jessica, because she knows her own limits, she won't wear herself to the point where she'll pass out, but sometimes she walks that edge just a little too close for comfort. Jessica is also very honest, brutally so. She rarely lies to others. If you're a liability to the group, she'll let you know. If you're probably gonna die because she can't fix you, she'll let you know. The thing about being brutally honest is that Jessica won't sugar coat things, she'll tell it like it is, completely disregarding the feelings of another. In her opinion, honesty is better than lying and deceit. If someone tells you the truth, you're more likely to try and find a way to fix it rather than keep up what you're doing. **_

_**The truth can hurt yes, and often times from Jessica, it does. But if you need an honest opinion, Jessica is the one to seek out. She's quiet and reserved by nature, though by no means fades into the background with an argument that matters. Simple matters that wouldn't have any consequence to the group Jessica would rather not get involved unless asked, in which case she'll give her opinion. Jessica usually speaks last, listening and weighing the options of the others before combining them with her own. Though not outspoken, she definitely has a way of getting her opinions across, verbally tearing down the plans of others, ruthlessly picking apart the plans, telling the others just what is wrong with them, any variables that can go wrong, before explaining her own, using infallible logic and brutal honesty. **_

_**Because she's reserved, very few get to know her, like really, really know her. Many believe she's unfriendly and not approachable, but that's often the opposite with her. Jessica is friendly, and she is approachable. I'll let you in on a little secret too: she's good at keeping them. Jessica is smart and observing, two traits that are often great to have on their own, but when coupled together, can be great downfalls. Being observant allows Jessica to read into the meanings of another's words, sometimes finding the hidden meanings between the lines. But this also leads her to read too much into things, searching for hidden dangers, that snake in the grass that isn't there. She's also loyal to her friends. Her loyalty tends to make her search for this trait in others, also making it harder to win her over. Every disloyal act, even in the slightest, causes Jessica to question the loyalty of others, often breaking the trust for extended periods of time, sometimes never to be won again. **_

_**One thing many note about Jessica is her patience. Coupled with the calmness mentioned earlier, this makes Jessica very patient, and very unlikely to snap at you because you're getting on her nerves. She's easy to get along with because her patience is also complimented by tolerance, making her easy to approach. Her tolerance also allows her to put up with the shortcomings of others, and help them out with any issues they have. It's always easier to help others out with a calm and level head. Definitely not the life of the party, and certainly a realist, Jessica is often said to be too serious too much. She's always goal orientated, and slacking off is never an option. **_

_**If you're not working, or just relaxing, Jessica will find something for you to do, and there's always something to do. Her goal is to keep as many alive as possible, and insure the survival of that of her daughter Ashleigh. Because of this Jessica is just fine with doing things on her own, though she prefers the help of others, provided they're responsible enough to help properly to get it done the most efficient way possible. Often times considered a bad thing to be, assertive is another trait that belongs to this gal. **_

_**Assertive people are those who find the balance between passiveness and aggressiveness. She respects the boundaries of others, as well as her own. She doesn't infringe upon the rights of others, and certainly doesn't allow others to infringe on her own. She respects the rights and opinions of others, but makes sure others respect her own rights and opinions.**_

_**Sexuality- Straight**_

_**Alright! With that out of the way, some of you still need to send me your lists, so please do so if you haven't already :) **_

_**Okay, here's the chapter! Enjoy! :D**_

_**~Saturday~**_

There was a calm, serene tone to the air that morning. Vincent couldn't tell what it was, as he sat, looking out of the Get Go's windows. Maybe it was because the sun rising was a peculiar orange-yellow, but didn't hurt his eyes, or perhaps it was him hearing his daughter's easy breathing as she slept just two feet away. It didn't matter, he supposed.

It was quiet and relaxed, and he just needed that for awhile. He could see a few of those..._things_ outside. What were they, again? He heard one woman call them walkers. Vincent scoffed to himself, and tightened his tied-back dreadlocks from underneath his black beanie.

Was the world so hopeless now that those things had names? Vincent sighed, and let out a puff of air, still tired from his push ups earlier. It seemed as though that morning everything was sort of normal. Vincent has exercised like he always did. Joan was sleeping soundly and peacefully.

Vincent turned around to make sure this was still true, and saw as his daughter had a rather content look on her face as she snuggled deeper in her white shirt. Vincent found his upper lip tugging upwards at the sight, and turned back to the rising sun. A little ways away, Vincent saw that a female walker, only illuminated by the light sort of looked like his late wife. Vincent sighed, and shook his head.

Jamie wasn't there. He couldn't kid himself like that. She was gone, he had watched her death, the destruction, the doom. Oh God, and Joan –

Vincent let out a shuddering breath and reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. Vincent clicked the light on, and watched the tiny flame hold still in the warm air of the gas station. He pulled a cigarette from the pack started to light it.

"Mornin', Daddy!" Joan called suddenly from her makeshift bed.

Vincent jolted from the sudden action and fumbled with his cigarette. His lighter fell to the floor and let out a loud clang, while his cigarette hung loose in his mouth. He turned around to see his daughter smiling back and she clambered out of her bed to come and greet him. He grinned at that, and stored the cigarette back into the pack. It could wait. Joan bounded to him, her bare feet pounding against the tile to him. Vincent opened his arms, ready for his daughter's small, yet fierce embrace.

"Oof!" Vincent let out a breath of air as Joan bombarded him with a hug.

Joan pulled back and gave him a sheepish grin and a little giggle. "I'm getting' strong, aren't I, Daddy?"

"Little too strong, Joanny." He answered back. Joan laughed, and started to turn away, when Vincent put a strong hand on her arm, enclosing the little thing. "Wait, Joan!" He called frantically.

Joan's almond eyes widened. "What?"

Vincent motioned for his daughter to come in closer. Joan leaned in until her caramel skin was against her father's dark skin. "...I...I..." Vincent stopped.

Joan backed away. "What, Daddy?"

"I...I...I...love you!" Vincent all but shouted. He pulled Joan in for a tight hug, and she let out a shriek of delight. He held her close to his chest and rocked back and forth with her. Joan started wiggling in his grasp, and he let her go. Joan over-dramatically let out a breath of air and rolled her brown eyes at her father.

"You say that everyday, Daddy."

"I know. But I just want you to know that." There was a slight moment of silence before Joan perked up and ran towards her blue bookbag she had escaped from school with. "Joan, start packing."

Joan stopped rifling through her bag and looked at her father curiously. "Why? I like it here."

"So do I. But we just gotta go." Vincent watched as his daughter accepted his answer and started to pack up. He didn't bother telling her there was a huge hole in the back of the building, in the manager's office, where three re-dead corpses sat, and the only thing keeping walkers from coming in was the manager's desk that was maybe three feet, four feet, (if he was lucky), high.

Vincent shoved his clothes and blanket and pillow into his duffel bag, and straightened out his red button down shirt and secured the ties on his brown boots. Vincent sighed, and unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt so he wasn't as hot, and directed his attention to Joan, who was all ready to go with her white shirt and black jeans on to keep slightly warm in the September air. Vincent started to the shelves, and poured food in. _Might'as well get what we can from here._

"Can I do that, too, Daddy?" Joan asked eagerly.

Vincent smiled and nodded. "Just not too much, okay? You still need to be able to carry your pack." Vincent paused. "And not all junk food, either!"

Joan giddily started shoveling food into her bag, and laughing as she did. Vincent zipped up his bag and walked over to Joan. "Ready to go, baby?"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" Joan yelled out, closing up her bag.

Vincent bent and crouched to Joan's level. "Here, turn around, I'll do your hair." Joan swiveled around on her foot and started humming as Vincent started to redo her hair. He noticed, while her hair wasn't dirty, it hadn't been _properly_ washed in awhile. He brushed it out with his fingers, and then started securing it back into a ponytail. He grabbed the hair-tie and tied her hair back and out of her face. "Alright. Let's go." Joan nodded and slung her back over her shoulder and stumbled back a little bit.

"Woah!" She giggled.

"Let me see your bag." Vincent ordered. Joan reluctantly handed it over, and watched as her father pulled out twelve Hershey bars, five Reese's cups, and nine Paydays, as well as two Mountain Dews. Vincent shot his daughter a curious look and she gave him a sheepish grin back. "I'll put these in my bag for now." Vincent said. "Okay, now let's get out of here."

Joan nodded, and merrily skipped out of the Get Go into the shit-world they were supposed to live in. For the apocalypse, the amount of walkers that were about was very mild. Vincent had Joan cover her eyes as he shoved his Eckert hook straight in a walker's jaw, so you could see the end pointing through the top of its head.

"Oh, wait, Daddy!" Joan suddenly exclaimed.

Vincent cautiously looked around. "Joan, we can't stand out here in the open like this. We gotta keep moving."

"Here, look what I drew!" Joan shoved the picture in her dad's face. He felt himself melt into a smile. It was a small picture, just of him and Joan, holding hands and smiling. She had gotten every little detail down. She had drawn his tied-back dreadlocks and his enormous height (6'2"), his round nose, and his tribal tattoo (which was just a whole bunch of random colors, but Vincent knew what she meant) on his arm, and his dark black skin. She had drawn herself in her favorite blue dress and black shoes and her hair looked exactly like it did in real life.

Vincent laughed, and tucked the picture in his back jeans pocket. "Thanks, honey."

"I drew it last night while you were in the back." Joan informed him innocently.

Vincent almost stopped their walking. "Joan, you were supposed to be sleepin'. I was keepin' watch to make sure we wouldn't get hurt." And to make sure no walkers broke into the back, but he thought it best if he omitted that part.

"Well I wasn't tired, and 'sides. We didn't stay there that long anyways, so it's doesn't matter. That's not our house, Daddy." Vincent sighed and nodded his head.

"I know. That isn't our house. Our house is gone, now."

A silence held between them for awhile. Vincent looked up at the sky after awhile, and guessed it was around noon. The sky was a clear blue when it showed through the grey clouds coming from Atlanta in the distance.

"My feet hurt." Joan whined. Vincent sighed, and picked up Joan, looking somewhere for them to rest.

"Alright, we'll rest a while, and then we have to start moving 'gain, okay?" Joan nodded, and tucked her head into her father's neck. Vincent smiled at the action and started scanning the area for...anything. All he could see were abandoned cars, wrecked houses, and blood soaked streets. Vincent's shoulders slumped at the depressing scene, and was glad Joan wasn't watching this.

There was only so much a five year old could take.

He figured her feet didn't even hurt, since he's seen her walk for two hours straight for candy on Halloween (God, that girl loves her candy). She probably didn't want to see the destruction anymore. As they traveled further away from the Get Go, Vincent noticed the amount of walkers increased as did the amount of death and gloom surrounding them. He turned a corner and saw an abandoned dollar movie theatre with a deserted parking lot.

"Joan, look." Joan lifted her head, and her brown eyes immediately lit up once she realized what that place was.

"The movies! Will their be popcorn, Daddy? And candy?"

Vincent grinned. "Maybe. We'll just have to go in and see, won't we?"

Joan leapt from her father's arms and started ahead. "Let's go, let's go!" Vincent started after his daughter, making sure nothing was trailing him. She made it to the entrance, her hand on the handle, when Vincent grabbed her hand and crouched to her level.

"Let me go in first, always. We have to make sure there's nothing in there, first. If there is, we have to leave, so don't get your hopes up, alright?" Joan nodded, and stepped behind Vincent. He took a deep breath, and swung open the door to the seemingly empty theatre.

"Hello?" Joan called out.

Vincent clasped a hand over his daughter's mouth. "No, Joan, not like that!" He whispered. Vincent froze, hoping they were alone, before he heard footsteps. Vincent pressed a finger against his mouth to Joan, and picked her up, holding her close to his broad chest. He had her in one arm, and his Eckert hook in the other, ready to impale whatever was coming towards them. Vincent held his breath and leaned in, trying to listen for groaning or shuffling.

"Holy shit!" A woman cursed. She pressed a hand to her chest and let out a breath.

A man appeared next to the woman. "Who're they?"

"Dunno. Strangers." The woman directed her attention to Vincent and Joan. "Howdy! I'm Krissy!" She greeted.

The man narrowed his eyes. "You told Rein your name was Whitney, Whitney! God. I thought that was your name!"

Krissy grinned. "Nope, I lied! Go get Rein." The man left, grumbling. The woman, Krissy, leaned in to Vincent and Joan who were still in defense mode. "My real name's Cara, but I just like fucking with him." The man came back with a dark haired Asian woman who smiled immediately as soon as she saw.

"Hi, sweetie! I'm Rein!"

"I'm Krissy." Cara winked at them.

"And I'm Weapon."

Vincent gestured to himself. "I'm Vincent, and this is my daughter, Joan."

"Aww, she's such a cutie patootie!" Cara cooed. Rein nodded in agreement.

Weapon rolled his eyes. "Can we just go keep watch? I don't know about you, but I don't want this place goin' to shit 'cause we had to meet the new survivors."

"Hey, asshole! Don't swear in front of her! She's a kid!"

Rein rolled her eyes. "Both of you, I swear to God, are five. Krissy, go keep watch. Go." Cara glared at Rein, but went on anyways, shouting:

"Fine! But I'm playing with Nightmare!"

Joan perked up. "Who's Nightmare?"

"He's my horse." Rein smiled at her.

Joan let out a cry of delight, and looked up to Vincent. "Can I go play with him, too, Daddy? Please?!"

"Would that be okay?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah. Just let him get to know you before you pet him, okay?" Rein said. Joan nodded and giggled, running to where Cara had gone. Weapon stepped towards Vincent.

"You any good at killin' 'em?"

"Pretty good. Straight through the head."

"What's your weapon?" Weapon asked.

Rein snorted and stopped as Weapon stared at her. "It's just funny 'cause Weapon's asking about a weapon..." Vincent cracked a small smile but Weapon just glared. "Just...continue..."

"Uh, yeah, I have an Eckert hook."

Weapon nodded. "Good. I have a hammer, Krissy has a kitchen knife, and Rein has a switchblade."

"Alright. Joan has a pocket knife, but I only let her use it for emergencies."

Rein stepped in for a moment. "I just wanna say, I adore your name."

Vincent nodded his head with a smile. "Thanks..."

"God. Are you always this eager with new people?" Weapon asked, annoyed. Rein rolled her eyes.

"No, I just really love his name!"

"Hmm...maybe you're just getting tired of us..." Weapon trailed. Rein widened her eyes and noticed that Weapon had a smile on his face.

"You made a joke." She paused. "He made a joke! He made a joke!" Rein ran to wherever Cara and Joan were, leaving Vincent and Weapon.

"The rules are pretty simple. Help us defend this place, help get food, and don't get too angry, and you can stay. We really don't have a leader or anything like that, so it's pretty laid-back, I guess."

Vincent nodded at that. "Alright, well my rules are simple too. Respect me and my daughter. And protect her if I'm not here, but that won't happen."

"Okay." Weapon handed Vincent a gun from behind the counter. "You can start by securing the front entrance. I have the East end, and Krissy has the West, and I'm assuming Rein is watching Joan." Weapon started to leave, before he rounded the corner, and gestured toward the gun. "Don't let Krissy know that's here. All she'll want to do is shoot things, and I don't trust her with it."

"Sounds good. Uh, which one's Krissy?" Vincent asked him.

"She's the short, dark-haired girl with the ponytail. And Rein's the tall Asian girl." Vincent nodded and watched as Weapon disappeared to the West end on the theatre. Vincent looked around, observing the place he had to survive in.

The place didn't look sturdy, and he had a feeling they would have to leave soon. He cocked the gun, and stood next to the entrance. However, he was glad he and Joan found a group. He was grateful, even if for a few days, he didn't have to travel with Joan. She'd be in a fairly secure place and the people there seemed okay.

So he and Joan would stick around.

_**A\N Ah! All done, so I hope you all liked this chapter, especially Vincent and Joan's creator, kingokami! **_

_**Now regarding the reviewing. I understand that you all have personal lives unlike me, but I really would appreciate it if you'd leave a quick review telling me what you think. I do spend a lot of time on these chapters, so I'd be really happy if you did :) I'm not going to kill off your characters if you don't review, because I think that's unfair, but I think everyone should read these opening chapters, even if they aren't your character, because it'll help with getting to know their personalities, histories, and their physical descriptions. I can't force you, but I'm asking you, please review :) Thank you!**_

_**Okay, so please review and tell me what you think! **_

_**Stay golden,**_

_**Daffy :)**_


	5. Ben and Eliza Harvey

_**A\N Hello, again! Sorry for the late update! Anyways, I did want to explain a few things. **_

_**I'm going to introduce maybe three or four more characters to the story, and then the actual story's gonna begin. A lot of stuff is going to happen, time will pass, and then more characters will be introduced, so not everyone will appear at the same time. Who I pick is completely at random, so please don't be offended if your character doesn't appear until later.**_

_**And, just one more character, guys! Please add him to your list, and tell me what your character would think of him, haha.**_

_**Nicholas Charles Cresta**_

_**Age: 32**_

_**Personality- Cole is a bit of a control freak. Not in a mean way, he just likes everything in order. He is very organized and pays attention to little details. He is very jumpy and has several nervous ticks (biting his nails, tapping his feet, etc.). He takes a lot of time to make sure that everything he does is done thoroughly. Cole is an incredibly intelligent young man. He is a little bossy and if people don't know him they assume him to be mean. Cole is an opinionated person and will defend what he believes, usually it's the right thing. He can be a bit snarky and sarcastic but has a good view on what's right and wrong. He is a generally nice person once he stops being a nervous wreck. Cole does everything in extremes, when he loves someone, he loves them with everything he has and will do literally anything for them, but the same applies with hatred and any other of his emotions.  
Likes: He always has to be doing something. He likes music and reading, not much of that in the apocalypse though. Due to all his family he is great around kids.**_

_**Sexuality- Bisexual**_

_**Okay, with that settled, let's move on with the story! :) Today's chapter is for Ben and Eliza Harvey! Yay, everyone's favorite characters! By the way, guys. Did I mention Ben is really racist...yay!**_

_**Haha, please review and tell me what you think, and most importantly, enjoy! :D**_

_**~Tuesday~**_

"Just tell me why you charged at Joan like some wild animal!" Vincent all but shouted. Eliza shifted uncomfortably in her khakis. She didn't answer him, and instead, looked down at the dirt-covered, pale blue carpet of the movie theatre. A low growl sounded from the chair next to Eliza. Ben lurched dangerously forward at Vincent. Vincent aimed his gun at Ben for protection, and his eyes hardened. "Watch it, buddy. My friend taught me how to use this thing, and use it right."

"Then stop yelling at my wife!" Ben angrily hissed.

Vincent sighed, trying to keep a cool head, and lowered his gun. "Then please," he turned to Eliza, "just answer me."

Eliza raised her light green eyes as far as she could, and they fell to Vincent's broad shoulders. "Who is she?"

"She's my daughter."

Ben stiffened against his chair, and watched as Eliza let out a short, dry laugh. "How old is she?"

"Five." Vincent watched Eliza closely. She didn't seem as much of a threat as her husband. In fact, she just seemed unstable. Her red hair was thrown in a frizzy, messy ponytail, and her eyes has dark, deep purple bags under them, as if she hadn't slept in years. Eliza slumped at his answer, and nodded her head slowly.

"My daughter was six." It came out so weak and broken, Vincent wasn't sure if she said it, or if he made it up in his head.

Ben lost his strength in his chair, and lowered himself to his wife's level, still in his chair. "'Liza,"

She ignored him. "She was our second baby, after-"

"Just stop!" Ben shouted at her angrily. Eliza clamped up, then, settling back into her chair like a turtle. Ben sat back for a moment and faced Vincent. "Just let us, go, asshole. This is too hard on her."

Vincent observed Eliza again, who was fiddling with her chipped, broken fingernails. "Can...can I see 'er?" Eliza asked.

"No." Vincent answered immediately. "I don't trust you."

"You probably shouldn't." Eliza replied, her voice cracking. "I'm just...so fuckin' sorry. I just...I haven't seen a little girl since mine...and I just thought I saw my baby for a second."

Vincent's eyes softened, and he relaxed his stance a bit toward Eliza, but still had his gun ready for Ben. "I mean...do they even look alike?" Vincent's eyes trailed his dark skin, all the way to Ben and Eliza's light, pasty skin.

"No, they don't." Ben answered heatedly. "Can't we all just agree this is stupid as fuck and move on? My wife had a temporary moment of weakness, that's it, alright? No need to make her feel like a fuckin' lunatic for it."

"Vince." Vincent averted his attention from the couple to Rein who held two water bottle out for them. "They've gotta be thirsty, Vince. It's been an hour. Let 'em drink." Vincent nodded and took the water from her outstretched arms, and handed them to the couple. Eliza threw the cap in the opposite direction, and guzzled down the water as if her life depended on it. Water dribbled out from the corners of her small mouth, and down onto her burning skin, making Rein almost feel pity for the woman. Ben, however, threw the bottle back at Rein violently, having Vincent whip the gun back out at him.

"Calm down, asshole," Ben snapped, "I don't want water from someone who almost destroyed our country."

Rein's almond eyes widened and she took a menacing step toward Ben. "Oh my God, did you seriously just fuckin' say that? Vince, let me kill him!" Vincent held out an arm to Rein, telling her to back off.

"Rein, calm down." Vincent turned back to Ben. "One more comment like that, and I'll personally feed you to the walkers." Vincent grabbed the water Ben threw at Rein, and handed it to him. "Drink it or don't drink at all." Ben's brown eyes met Rein's, and he distastefully threw the water to the ground.

"I ain't gonna drink somethin' from someone who threatened me either."

"Fine!" Rein shouted, "Have it your way!" Rein viciously grabbed the water, and crouched right in front of Ben. She took off the cap and drank the water slowly in front of him, teasing him. "Mmm, still pretty cool, too."

She kept drinking it, and Ben stamped his foot. "Keep it up, and I'll hit you, you bitch."

Rein stood up, towering her not-very-tall 5'5" height over him. "Yeah, you do that. Just keep in my mind, my friend, and the man whose daughter your wife basically attacked, has a gun pointed at you. And trust me, he can aim pretty damn well."

Ben faced his wife. "You know, this is the time when you defend me."

"My daughter..." Eliza said, looking past Vince and ignoring Ben. "Her name was Harriet. She was so smart and brave...she...she got bit and she didn't even cry." Eliza's voice broke and she tucked her heart-shaped face into her small chest. Loud sobs racked through Eliza's body, shaking her as the room fell silent. Ben stared disgustedly at Vincent and pointed violently at his gun.

"God. Would you put the fuckin' gun away? My wife is sobbin', not plannin' to kill you." Vincent sighed and lowered his gun again, looking upon Eliza with pity.

"Look, I'm sorry for ev'rythin' you're going through-"

"Good, you should be. We've been through hell and back, and you have the nerve to point a gun at us when we're in worse condition than you!" Ben shouted.

Rein stepped forward, brushing her long black hair back. "We've all lost someone." Rein said. She sighed, trying to cool herself down. "I lost Ven..." She trailed, her voice cracking a bit. She cleared her throat after an awkward pause and continued. "Vince lost his wife, Weapon lost his friend, and Cara lost 'er girlfriend. We all go through this. I'm sorry your daughter had to die, but you have to move on from it."

Eliza lifted her eyes from her lap, and met Rein's from under her side bangs. "Can I ask you somethin'..."

"Rein."

"Can I ask you somethin', Rein?" Eliza asked. Rein reluctantly nodded and Eliza sat up a bit straighter. "Have ya ever lost a child?"

Rein shifted uncomfortably under Eliza's stare. "No."

"Try losin' two." Eliza snapped. She hastily wiped away the tears that smeared her over-applied mascara on. "I lost Greg when I was twenty-nine...he was a stillborn. And then I had my baby-girl, Harriet. She was ev'rythin' to me, and I had to watch her die in my arms, and I heard when Ben shot her to prevent her from comin' back. Two children. Two. Ever since Harriet, Ben and I have been sleepin' in turns, starvin', and rememberin' our children. So why don't you give us a fuckin' break." Eliza shot her attention to Vincent. "If you lost your daughter, and you saw a little girl, you would want to be around her too. Don't lie to me."

Vincent shook his head. "I would be devastated, but I wouldn't charge at someone's daughter just because I lost Joan."

"Rein!" A loud voice called. Cara walked into the room, apparently unaware of the apparent stingy atmosphere and tension.

"Hey. What's goin' on?" Rein asked. Cara walked up to her, barely noticing the newcomers.

"Well, I finally got Weapon to tell me his joke that he made, and it really wasn't that funny, but because it was him, it was hilarious!" Rein managed to crack a smile, but Vincent's attention was still focused on the couple. "Oh, hey, guys! Who're you?"

"Nightmare's asleep!" Joan called out as she entered the room with a-less-than-amused Weapon. She, like Cara, didn't detect the tension, but Weapon did, and pulled her back from the couple. Ben and Eliza looked at the three new people in their presence. The man looked away awkwardly, fiddling with his small, pulled back ponytail, obviously knowing there was something up there. The woman gave them a friendly smile, while the little girl looked at her father, obviously confused.

Cara stepped forward. "Awkward silence, much, guys?" No one laughed. "God. Tough crowd." She extended a hand. "I'm Cara."

Weapon groaned. "Holy fuck! I thought it was Krissy! What is your actual fuckin' name?"

Cara laughed. "I just like fuckin' with you, but my real name is...actually...how old are ya?"

"What?"

"How old are ya?" Cara repeated. "I wanna to know."

"Thirty-seven." Weapon said, shrugging as if it were no big deal.

Cara's tiny jaw dropped and hit the floor. "Y-you're thirty-seven?!" Rein joined her, forgetting the atmosphere.

"Holy...shit! Th-thirty seven! You look so young, like a model!" Rein added in disbelief.

"It's not a big fuckin' deal. I'm thirty-seven. Three seven. That's it. Now what's your real name, and you better not be fuckin' with me."

"Cara. My real name's Cara. Rein and Vincent can verify, right, guys?"

"Yeah."

Cara smiled and turned back to the neglected Ben and Eliza. "Now that that's settled, what're your names?"

"I'm Eliza, and my husband, Ben." Eliza greeted, when Ben sent Cara an angry look.

"Cool, are ya stayin'?" Ben and Eliza looked at Vincent who sighed and shook his head helplessly.

"I don't know, honestly. I don't trust either of ya with Joan, and-" Vincent directed his attention solely on Ben, "you threatened Rein and you're violent."

Cara straightened up. "Hey! Anyone who threatens my Rein is not welcome!"

Rein smiled, but kept it brief. "Cara – shut up."

"Then don't do it for me, do it for Eliza." Ben said, gesturing to his wife. "She's weak and hungry and she's so depressed. We need somewhere stable to rest, and this seems like the best bet." Vincent nodded and bit his lip, observing the woman who lost two children and just wanted the feeling of being a mother back again.

"C'mon, Vince." Rein said, "Don't tell me you're actually considering letting this asshole stay!"

Vincent sighed, and scratched his dreadlocks awkwardly. "Here's how it is here. Watch and defend the place we ask you to, and do it efficiently. No more racist comments, don't threaten any of our own, and stay away from my daughter." Eliza nodded, and made eye-contact with Joan. Eliza shot her a smile, but Joan just looked at her father, trying not to look back at Eliza.

Weapon handed back their confiscated items that were on the counter. "Here." Ben snatched his fireplace stake back, and Eliza grabbed her switchblade. Weapon looked at Rein, and gestured for her to go take watch with him at the East end.

"Joan, you go back with Nightmare, alright?"

Joan sighed. "But Daddy, it's _boring_ back there."

"How about you draw me another picture...I love them a lot." Joan brightened and ran back.

"Okay!"

Vincent straightened back up and faced the couple. "Cara and I have the West end, you two take the front entrance." Eliza nodded for the two of them, and watched as Cara and Vincent made their way to the West end.

"I didn't mean to-" Eliza started, but Ben stopped her by holding her hand.

"It's alright, baby. I know you didn't. We'll be okay, don't worry." Ben enveloped her into a hug, and for a moment, that entire day didn't even happen.

_**A\N Okay! I really hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think! :D**_

_**Also, to Silverdragon98, I really adore Weapon and Rein as a couple, haha! Anyways, have a great day, and see you next time!**_

_**Stay golden,**_

_**Daffy:)**_


End file.
